The format for my temple/installation layout is most likely going to be based on the Heptagram. The Seven pointed star holds great power according to Hermetic lore. It also refers to great cycles prevalent within our heavenly realm, as well as to the flow of the days of the week. Seven also aligns to the seven chakras or energy centres within the human auric field.
So many alignments and correlations!!! More thorough explanations in Heptagrams Part 1.
Have you ever thought about where the names for the days of the week came from? Or perhaps why is it 7 days?
The Seven Days of the Week
The Babylonians marked time with lunar months. They proscribed some activities during several days of the month, particularly the
first -- the first visible crescent,
seventh -- the waxing half moon,
fourteenth -- the full moon,
nineteenth -- dedicated to an offended goddess,
twenty-first -- the waning half moon,
twenty-eigth -- the last visible crescent
twenty-nineth -- the invisible moon, and
thirtieth (possibly) -- the invisible moon.
The major periods are seven days, 1/4 month, long. This seven-day period was later regularized and disassociated from the lunar month to become our seven-day week.
The Naming of the Days
The Greeks named the days week after the sun, the moon and the five known planets, which were in turn named after the gods Ares, Hermes, Zeus, Aphrodite, and Cronus. The Greeks called the days of the week the Theon hemerai "days of the Gods". The Romans substituted their equivalent gods for the Greek gods, Mars, Mercury, Jove (Jupiter), Venus, and Saturn. (The two pantheons are very similar.) The Germanic peoples generally substituted roughly similar gods for the Roman gods, Tiu (Twia), Woden, Thor, Freya (Fria), but did not substitute Saturn.
Sunday -- Sun's day
Middle English sone(n)day or sun(nen)day
Old English sunnandæg "day of the sun”
Old Norse Sunnudagr/Drottinsdagr "Suns Day/Lord’s Day"
Germanic sunnon-dagaz "day of the sun"
Latin dies solis "day of the sun"
Ancient Greek hemera heli(o)u, "day of the sun"
Monday -- Moon's day
Middle English monday or mone(n)day
Old English mon(an)dæg "day of the moon”
Old Norse Manadagr “moons day"
Latin dies lunae "day of the moon"
Ancient Greek hemera selenes "day of the moon"
Tuesday -- Tiu's day
Middle English tiwesday or tewesday
Old English tiwesdæg "Tiw's (Tiu's) day”
Old Norse Tysdagr “Tyr’s day"
Latin dies Martis "day of Mars"
Ancient Greek hemera Areos "day of Ares"
Tiu (Twia) is the English/Germanic god of war and the sky. He is identified with the Norse god Tyr.
Mars is the Roman god of war.
Ares is the Greek god of war.
Wednesday -- Woden's day
Middle English wodnesday, wednesday, or wednesdai
Old English wodnesdæg "Woden's day”
Old Norse Ooinsdagr “Odin’s day"
Latin dies Mercurii "day of Mercury"
Ancient Greek hemera Hermu "day of Hermes"
Woden is the chief Anglo-Saxon/Teutonic god. Woden is the leader of the Wild Hunt. Woden is from wod "violently insane" + -en "headship". He is identified with the Norse Odin.
Mercury is the Roman god of commerce, travel, theivery, eloquence and science. He is the messenger of the other gods.
Hermes is the Greek god of commerce, invention, cunning, and theft. He is the messenger and herald of the other gods. He serves as patron of travelers and rogues, and as the conductor of the dead to Hades.
Thursday -- Thor's day
Middle English thur(e)sday
Old English thursdæg
Old Norse thorsdagr "Thor's day"
Old English thunresdæg "thunder's day"
Latin dies Jovis "day of Jupiter"
Ancient Greek hemera Dios "day of Zeus".
Thor is the Norse god of thunder. He is represented as riding a chariot drawn by goats and wielding the hammer Miölnir. He is the defender of the Aesir, destined to kill and be killed by the Midgard Serpent.
Jupiter (Jove) is the supreme Roman god and patron of the Roman state. He is noted for creating thunder and lightning.
Zeus is Greek god of the heavens and the supreme Greek god.
Friday -- Freya's day
Middle English fridai
Old English frigedæg "Freya's day"
composed of Frige (genetive singular of Freo) + dæg “day"
Old Norse Frjadagr “Freyja’s day"
Germanic frije-dagaz "Freya's (or Frigg's) day"
Latin dies Veneris "Venus's day"
Ancient Greek hemera Aphrodites "day of Aphrodite"
Freo is identical with freo, meaning free. It is from the Germanic frijaz meaning "beloved, belonging to the loved ones, not in bondage, free".
Freya (Fria) is the Teutonic goddess of love, beauty, and fecundity (prolific procreation). She is identified with the Norse god Freya. She is leader of the Valkyries and one of the Vanir. She is confused in Germany with Frigg.
Frigg (Frigga) is the Teutonic goddess of clouds, the sky, and conjugal (married) love. She is identified with Frigg, the Norse goddess of love and the heavens and the wife of Odin. She is one of the Aesir. She is confused in Germany with Freya.
Venus is the Roman goddess of love and beauty.
Aphrodite (Cytherea) is the Greek goddess of love and beauty.
Saturday -- Saturn's day
Middle English saterday
Old English sæter(nes)dæg "Saturn's day”
Old Norse Laugardagr “Washing day"
Latin dies Saturni "day of Saturn"
Ancient Greek hemera Khronu "day of Cronus"
Saturn is the Roman and Italic god of agriculture and the consort of Ops. He is believed to have ruled the earth during an age of happiness and virtue.
Cronus (Kronos, Cronos) is the Greek god (Titan) who ruled the universe until dethroned by his son Zeus.
To quote Hermes:
Few can escape their fate, Or guard against the influence of the Zodiac – For the stars are instruments of Destiny, Which bring all things to pass in the world of Men If, however, The rational part of a mans soul Is illuminated by a single ray of Atum’s (God’s) Light. The workings of these gods is as nothing – For all gods are powerless Before the Supreme Light. But such men are few.
Most are led and driven by the gods which govern earthly life, using our bodies as the instruments of Destiny. To my way of thinking, however, It is our duty not to simply asquiesce in our human state, but through intense contemplation of devine things, to detach ourselves from our merely mortal nature.
Photo: The seven-pointed Faery Star is an emerging symbol in contemporary magick. Also known as a Fairy Star or Elven Star.
The Intersection of the Magic Squares and the Nine Planets: Hermetic Alchemical Cosmology.
And the harmonics of the different star signs.